Playing Detective When Your Loved One Seems Unusually Confused

I've seen temporarily increased confusion caused by urinary tract infections (UTIs) in both my parents. I've read articles about this connection. Still, when I mention this to friends worried about an elderly parent's sudden dementia, they are surprised. So I want to direct you to an excellent article, "Playing Detective," by Today's Caregiver staff writer, Jennifer Bradley. I am fascinated by her explanation of why something happening in the bladder affects the brain. And I am so glad she addresses prevention of UTIs. Check it out here.

Kate Mulgrew's Call for Alzheimer's Action

Today's Caregiver editor Gary Barg's interview with actress Kate Mulgrew calls us to action on three counts:

1. Families of people with Alzheimer's need to understand and minister to this person's isolation, as well as the primary caregiver's sense of isolation.
2. Little acts of caregivers and other family members, like putting a doily under Mom's fruit cup, mean a lot. Do those little extras that communicate love.
3. Alzheimer's research badly needs funding!

Mulgrew expresses these thoughts so beautifully and descriptively. And she gives tips for involving more family members in the process. Read or listen to her interview here. 

Music Sings to the Heart ~ And Mind

When my father heard music in every stage of Alzheimer's, he gyrated his wrists to the music, sometimes "danced" with his shoulders, and always smiled. It was a pleasure to see music giving him such obvious pleasure. Most of Dad's favorites were on cassette tapes he himself had compiled, so throughout his nearly three years in the nursing home, our family searched dusty corners of our basements to find tape players that still worked. We had to replace several in Dad's room, but we wanted him to be able to enjoy his music. At one point, I made CDs of his tapes, but then the CD players we took to the nursing home broke, too. Fortunately, his nursing home had working players we could borrow if need be. And they also had one or two music programs a day we could wheel Dad to.

Here are two Caregiver.com articles about music's benefits for people with Alzheimer's.
Reaching People with Alzheimer's Through Music, by Barbara Jacobs, M.S.
The Healing Power of Music, by Steve Toll and Linda Bareham

A Fall Might Change Everything

Dark red scabs and scrapes on his knees were evidence that my dad fell off his bike with some frequency. He never broke a bone. But one day his bicycle disappeared from the garage. The decision had been made: It was too risky for him to continue riding. My mother, on the other hand, has been hospitalized for bone repairs after falling. She bravely continues walking, but always with someone present or an alert button dangling from a silk cord around her neck. After falling a few times, you lose confidence and live with varying degrees of fear of falling again. Even I, 30 years younger than my parents, hesitate to play tennis again now that my knees have buckled a few times on the stairs. My doctor says if I keep up with my physical therapy knee exercises, tennis should be no problem. Still ... I envision my body crumpling on the court, a fall that would result in new painful problems, perhaps even serious limitations. Fear of falling is real.

Check out a good article, "Fear of Falling: Preventing Falls and Fear," by Sharon Roth Maguire in Today's Caregiver at Caregiver.com. She addresses four major fall risks to reduce. If you take preventive measures, hopefully, as your fall risk lessens, your fear will lessen, too.

Wondering About In-Home Help?

Maybe you worry about your parents' health now that Mom can no longer stand in the kitchen to chop vegetables and fruit. Not to mention she's cooked so many meals in the last 60 years, she's not motivated beyond popping freezer meals in the microwave. Maybe Dad often loses his balance now and has fallen a few times. Plus, does he take his medications as prescribed? You can't be in your parents' home every day, so you wonder what kinds of in-home help are available and how much they cost.

Although you'd have to research and compare specific services and costs yourself, an article by Dr. Anthony Komaroff, physician and Harvard Medical School professor, gives you a foundational understanding of types of in-home help. Think of this article as learning what words to Google. For example, Dr. K explains differences between home health care and private duty care. I especially like that he tells what Medicare covers and what it doesn't. Please read what Dr. Komaroff has to say about services to help older adults remain independent for as long as possible. You'll find it here.

More on communicating with a person with Alzheimer's

Some previous posts have included ways I found to communicate with my favorite person with Alzheimer's, my father. Caregivers can easily become frustrated with a loved one's incomprehension or irrational fears. In this article on Caregiver.com, Malika Brown offers her suggestions as well.

Hilarity for Charity

Yesterday Seth Rogen told a Senate committee he has established Hilarity for Charity to raise funds for the Alzheimer's Association. He sees firsthand how his mother-in-law's early-onset Alzheimer's emotionally and financially drains a family, and he and his wife, Lauren Miller, want to support research to find a cause, cure, and preventive measures for the disease. And Hilarity for Charity raises awareness of this costly disease among a younger generation.

Hear his testimony here: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/seth-rogen-opens-mother-laws-struggle-alzheimers/story?id=22686934

To learn more about Hilarity for Charity, visit their website: Hilarity for Charity

I applaud you, Seth and Lauren!